AP Government & Politics Unit 1 Test

Government

The rules and institutions that make up the system of policymaking

Locke and the Social Contract Theory

The principle that people enter into a social contract with the government and allow themselves to be ruled

Consent of the Governed

Principle that there are no supreme rulers, all rulers depend on the approval of the people, when governments fail to protect rights the people have the right to change the government

Natural Rights

Principle that all people are born with certain rights: life, liberty, and property (pursuit of happiness)

Declaration of Independence

Document that summarizes the colonists’ motivations for seeking independence; Built on principles of natural rights, consent of the governed, and social contract theory. 

Direct Democracy

Citizens meet and vote directly on government decisions

Representative Democracy (Republic)

Citizens choose officials (representatives) who make decisions on government policy

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that the government’s right to rule comes from the people

Common Good

Belief in doing whats best for the nation overall

Majority Rule

Belief that government is run based on the will of the majority

Limited Government

A theory of governance in which the government only has those powers delegated to it by law, often through a written constitution

Separation of Powers

Each of the three branches has its own power and independence

Checks and Balances

Each branch has some power over the others, but retains independence

Judicial Review

Set by Marbury v. Madison; SC may rule an act of the President or Congress unconstitutional

Federalism

Separation between powers of the Federal, State, and Local governments

Participatory Democracy

The theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government.

Pluralism

A theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process.

Elitism

Theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process.

Articles of Confederation: Government Set Up

Weak association of states (very independent states); No central executive power; 9/13 states were required to vote to pass a law

Articles of Confederation: Weaknesses

No federal power to tax citizens directly; the Federal government could only raise an army (but not pay for it), print money, declare war, and run the post office; States could get away with taxing and printing money, and making foreign treaties

Shay’s Rebellion

Farmer rebellion in Massachusetts (1786-87) protesting mortgage foreclosures and terrible economy. Rebellion represented how weak the central government was under the Articles, and terrified many Americans

3/5 Compromise

Counted slaves as 3/5 of a person to give the south more representatives

Constitutional Convention: Virginia Plan

Plan that gave states representatives based on population size. Favored large states

Constitutional Convention: New Jersey Plan

Plan that gave every state an equal number of representatives, regardless of population size. Favored small states

Constitutional Convention: The Connecticut (Great) Compromise

Established two equal bodies (House and Senate) one based on population, one giving all states equal representation.

Federalist 10

Written by Madison, discusses importance of factions, factions are inevitable, but factions are best handled by a large republic

Federalist 51

Written by Madison, discusses importance of checks and balances and the separation of powers in the constitution

Brutus 1

An Antifederalist paper arguing that the country was too large to be governed as a republic and that the Constitution gave too much power to the national government.

Amending the Constitution: Formal Amendment Process

2/3 of Congress propose amendment → ¾ of states ratify it

Amending the Constitution: Informal Changes to the Constitution 

Judicial interpretations; Legislative actions that clarify its provisions

10th Amendment

Any power not denied nor given to the federal government is reserved for state governments (create local governments)

Fiscal Federalism

Government’s patterns of spending, taxing, and providing grants to influence state and local governments

Categorical Grants

Federal grants for specific purposes (Ex: Building an airport)

Block Grants

Broad grants from the federal government that give local/state governments a lot of freedom tospend money as they please without many strings attached (Ex: Welfare Reform Act of 1996: began transferring more authority back to the states through block grants)

Unfunded Mandates

Terms set by federal governments that states must meet with no funding from the federal government

Revenue Sharing

Federal sharing of a fixed percentage of its revenue with the states

Devolution

Process of returning power to the states, began during New Federalism under presidents Nixon, Reagan, and Bush

Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause

Gives Congress the flexibility to make laws necessary and proper for carrying out expressed powers; Upheld in McCulloch v. Maryland

Full Faith & Credit Clause

States must honor laws and court rulings of other states

Take Care Clause

President must enforce all laws passed by congress

Supremacy Clause

Federal law is superior to state law; Resulted from McCulloch v. Maryland

Commerce Clause

Gives federal government authority to regulate all of interstate commerce. Gives federal government authority to regulate businesses that go between state lines, and justifies many federal laws (Civil Rights Act)

Confederate Government

System of government in which the central government is very weak and most of the true power lies in individual states

Unitary System

System of government in which the central government is extremely powerful, and individual states have few powers

Enumerated Powers

Powers listed in the constitution for the federal government: go to war, raise an army, regulate interstate and foreign commerce, establish post offices

Implied Powers

Based on Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause; Grants Congress the authority to make all laws needed for the execution of enumerated powers

Concurrent Powers

Shared powers between federal and state governments; Power to tax and spend, establish courts, make laws

Denied Powers

Powers explicitly denied to government

Writ of Habeas Corpus

Being imprisoned without formal accusation

Bills of Attainder

Laws that declare a person to be guilty

Ex Post Facto Laws

“After the fact”, laws that make an act illegal after it was preformed

Cooperative Federalism

Sharing powers between state and federal governments (AKA: “Marble Cake”)

Dual Federalism

Belief that the state and national governments are supreme within their own sphere of influence (AKA “Layer Cake”)

US v. Lopez (1995)

More power to states

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Right to same sex marriage legalized

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Debate as to whether or not the Bank of the United States had to pay Maryland state taxes; SC ruled that because the Bank of the US was national, it did not have to follow Maryland state law; Ruling overturned the idea of nullification by which states could override federal law

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Chief Justice John Marshall's Court ruled that Congress has the power to “regulate commerce” and that federal law takes precedence over state laws; More power to federal government